Chapter 3

Roka took Yang Jingxing for a longer walk and found a small restaurant where they could sit down. Yang Jingxing couldn't read the menu either and randomly ordered something that seemed to be noodles and hot dogs. Roka only took a couple of bites of the tiramisu that didn't suit her taste and drank some cold drinks.

Being students, they talked about their studies. Roka was also studying science and was in the second year of high school, but it was a five-year program. They discussed this topic for a long time before Roka realized that Yang Jingxing could go to university after three years of high school.

After a quick calculation, Roka knew, "So, you're seventeen?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "I can get my driver's license next year."

Roka rummaged through her bag, took out a car key with a beautiful pendant, and showed it off, "My sixteenth birthday gift, a red smart."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "I like red, I love Ferraris."

Roka was pleasantly surprised, "You like Ferraris?"

Yang Jingxing quoted a movie line, "Second only to pretty girls."

Roka looked incredulous, "Ferrari is my father's favorite; he has the latest F430... What a coincidence!"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "All men love Ferraris."

Roka chuckled, "Yes, so my mother hates Ferraris."

This became another common topic. Roka knew quite a bit about Ferraris and asked Yang Jingxing if he had ever visited the birthplace of Ferraris. Yang Jingxing couldn't say that his interest in material things had diminished a lot after being dead for decades, so he just said it was a matter of timing.

After eating, Roka went to the restroom, and when she came back, the slight oiliness on her face was gone, clearly having reapplied makeup. The two walked back to the group slowly, shoulder to shoulder, about half a meter apart, and then took a shoulder-to-shoulder group photo.

Tan Dong took the photo for Yang Jingxing, and his partner, a black girl, took it for Roka. The black girl was named Jenny, who had been very cheerful throughout the trip, making Tan Dong forget about the issue of skin color.

Jenny looked at the photo and said to Roka in Italian, "He might be a liar, but at least he's a hot liar."

Roka was very angry, "Jenny, you're so rude!"

In the afternoon, they visited Navona on foot. There were many restaurants and shops, making it quite lively. Roka followed Yang Jingxing's steps, walking far behind the main group. They talked about their respective food cultures; Roka only knew about roast duck, and Yang Jingxing only knew about pizza, both being quite inexperienced.

Roka mentioned a trip to her grandmother's hometown where she saw the local chefs make a super large pizza, several meters in diameter. She stretched her hands wide and made exaggerated facial expressions to illustrate, "It was so big, I only ate a millionth of it."

At that moment, a short, young, and professional-looking white man, standing about three to four meters behind Roka, suddenly accelerated, easily snatched Roka's Chanel bag from her arm, and quickly fled into a narrow alley.

Roka only had time to call out in panic, and the thief was already ten meters away.

Yang Jingxing's brain reacted quickly, but the decision to chase or not took him a couple of seconds. Once he made up his mind, he sprinted with an acceleration comparable to a Ferrari, like an arrow leaving the bow.

After four or five seconds, Yang Jingxing, relying on his absolute speed advantage, caught the robber's left arm. Due to lack of experience, he pulled too hard, causing the robber to fly and then crash to the ground.

Yang Jingxing, a bit scared, released his grip but only for a fraction of a second before grabbing again. The pain in his arm made the robber let out a sharp, angry cry and glare at Yang Jingxing, the Asian.

From about fifty meters away, Roka watched Yang Jingxing, shouting and screaming, attracting other students and passersby, but no police.

The robber struggled fiercely, trying to get up. Yang Jingxing helped, lifting the robber with his right hand. The robber flailed his feet, finally using his strength to stand up, and swung his right hand to hit Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing didn't dare to attack, but self-defense was necessary. He blocked the robber's punch with his left hand and quickly controlled his wrist. To Yang Jingxing, the robber's speed was too slow, like slow motion.

With both hands controlled, the robber couldn't break free no matter how hard he tried, so he used his feet. He kicked with his right foot, which was deflected by Yang Jingxing's foot, and the same happened with his left foot.

The robber's legs kicked continuously, and Yang Jingxing just lifted his right foot to block, making them look quite ridiculous.

While kicking and struggling, the robber lost his balance and was about to fall. Yang Jingxing used a bit of force to hold him up.

The robber, seeing Yang Jingxing's slightly frowning face and the distant but large group of supporters, felt a bit intimidated. He forcefully threw Roka's bag behind Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing let go of the robber's hand, watched him run away quickly, and then picked up the bag, walking back to the group of stunned people.

The first to greet Yang Jingxing was the small boy who had been with Ren Chuyu. He excitedly ran up a few steps, made some funny gestures, and finally struck a pose he thought was cool, shouting with a red face, "Kung Fu!"

Yang Jingxing politely gave a thumbs up to his admirer, who immediately stood at attention and gave a powerful bow.

Roka was still tense, walking a few steps forward and staring at Yang Jingxing, who couldn't suppress his smile, and asked, "Are you okay?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Everything is fine."

Roka took her bag but was clearly more concerned about Yang Jingxing.

Bo Erdeng glared at Yang Jingxing with a mix of anger and concern, unsure whether to criticize or praise him, and finally said irritably, "Why didn't you stay with us!"

Then the group chattered, and Yang Jingxing became a kung fu master and hero in the eyes of the Italians, with everyone introducing themselves to him. The classmates who had known each other for two years didn't know what to say.

Shao Lei, of course, thought Yang Jingxing had gone crazy from being mocked in Geneva, warned, "Showing off! Do you know about the mafia?"

Tao Meng looked at Yang Jingxing for a while and stood on the same side as Bo Erdeng, "What did we say before we left? Safety first!"

They continued sightseeing, but Yang Jingxing and Roka no longer had their private time. The small boy wouldn't let Yang Jingxing go, introducing himself as Ricardo and continuing to show his passion for kung fu with his fists and feet.

Roka couldn't show her impatience and seized the opportunity when Ricardo asked Yang Jingxing to show more moves, "Ricardo, I think you should go back to your friends!"

Ren Chuyu didn't mind and took the chance to talk to Yang Jingxing, "Why didn't we see a single Ferrari on this trip? I wanted to take a photo for you."

At the market, Yang Jingxing bought a few small trinkets for a few euros to bring back as gifts. He could haggle; when the seller held up ten fingers, he countered with eight, and it always worked.

Roka, a local, found it fresh and pointed out a stainless steel Roman necklace Yang Jingxing was selecting, "This is pretty... suitable for girls."

"Really?" Yang Jingxing looked closely and then extended his hand to Roka, "Thank you for teaching me the yo-yo."

Roka's blue eyes widened in surprise, and she asked, disbelieving, "For me?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Please accept it."

"Thank you—" Roka exaggerated the sound, took it with both hands, and immediately hung it around her neck to admire herself.

However, Yang Jingxing turned back and bought two more. Roka commented, "If you want to give a gift to your girlfriend, I can give you some advice."

Yang Jingxing sighed, "I wish you could help me."

Roka didn't believe him, "You don't have a girlfriend!?"

Yang Jingxing pleaded, "Don't talk about such depressing things."

Roka laughed instead.

At four in the afternoon, the bus took the students back to the small hotel. Friends who had become familiar with each other said goodbye, and Tan Dong even hugged the black girl.

Yang Jingxing and Roka, who had progressed the fastest, now seemed more distant, saying some formal goodbyes. Roka asked, "So... you're going back to China soon?"

Yang Jingxing replied, "The day after tomorrow, we still have to visit the Vatican tomorrow."

Roka nodded, "When exactly?"

Yang Jingxing said, "All day. I wish you a happy life."

Roka unconsciously touched her new necklace, suddenly remembered, and pulled out the yo-yo that had helped build their friendship from her bag, handing it to Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing took it without hesitation, "Thank you." He had nothing else to say and stood there waiting for Roka's teacher and Bo Erdeng to finish saying goodbye to the students.

Roka took a few steps and turned back, waving to Yang Jingxing, "Goodbye."

Yang Jingxing smiled brightly to leave a good impression, "Goodbye."

Back in the room, Tan Dong clarified, "Actually, Jenny is a nice person, she wants to be a singer... She's not that dark, her mother is Italian, a white person. Did you leave your email?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head and stared at his arm, rubbing and pinching it.

Tan Dong, who hadn't performed well, didn't mock his roommate and said in a more sincere tone, "Roka actually looks good, has a good figure... You were clearly a hero saving a beauty, ha ha, kung fu... Stop looking, I know you have muscles!"

Yang Jingxing looked out the window and then called his friend, "Come here."

"What?" Tan Dong thought his friend was really acting strange.

Yang Jingxing pointed, "Over there, by the red taxi. See the decoration in that window, the one that's spinning."

Across the street, about forty to fifty meters away, there was likely an art store with a fan-like object in the window, spinning continuously.

Yang Jingxing challenged, "Five leaves, red, blue, white, yellow, orange, dinner."

Tan Dong looked at Yang Jingxing suspiciously, recalling that they hadn't been there before and that